Spatial information systems technology: defined here as encompassing geographical information systems (GIS), land information systems (LIS), imaging and computer aided design (CAD) has largely grown out of an 'end user computing' environment catering for the immediate needs of relatively small independent groups of specialist professions and applications. These applications and the supported technology have now reached a level of maturity where management attention is shifting from data collection concerns to those, of effectively utilizing, maintaining and enhancing their new-found and expensive information resources. Making this information available to a wider community and gaining added returns and benefits has become an important objective.